As temperatures soar, so do reports of utility scams. Scammers often take advantage of high energy usage in the summer – when customers are running air conditioning or dealing with extreme heat – to trick people into making panic payments or sharing personal information. At Santee Cooper, we want to make sure you stay safe from these deceptive tactics.
Common Summer Utility Scams
Here are a few red flags to watch out for:
Urgent Disconnection Threats: Scammers may call or text claiming your service will be disconnected within minutes due to nonpayment – unless you pay immediately. They may spoof caller ID to make it look like it came from us.
There is a process involved with shutting off a customer’s power for nonpayment. You will have advanced notice that you are behind on your bill and opportunities to make a payment or set up a payment plan before the service is disconnected. Scammers like to create a sense of urgency and fear by giving an unreasonable amount of time to pay large sums of money to avoid termination.
Unusual Payment Methods: Be wary is you are asked to pay using gift cards or payment apps like Venmo or Zelle. Santee Cooper will never ask or demand a customer pay with anything other than direct forms of payment like a bank account or credit card.
Fake Promotions: Some scammers go door-to-door pretending to offer rebates or special pricing in exchange for access to your home or account number.
How to Protect Yourself
Use the MEL App: With My Energy Link (MEL) , you can safely monitor your energy use, view billing history, and confirm your account status. MEL also offers outage alerts and payment confirmations, so you’ll always know what’s happening with your service.
Verify Before You Pay: If you receive a suspicious call, hang up and call our customer service team at 800-804-7424. Never provide personal or payment information to an unexpected caller.
Set Up Alerts: MEL makes it easy to stay informed. Sign up for text or email alerts to track your usage and get timely notifications about billing and service updates.
Report Suspicious Activity: If you think you’ve been targeted by a scam, let us know. Reporting helps us warn other customers and support local authorities.
Summer should be about staying cool – not stressing over scams. If you ever have questions about your bill, account or service status, our customer service team is here for you.
Stay safe, stay cool, and stay alert.